Microsoft has introduced that it’s killing its window.exterior.getHostEnvironmentValue() technique of gathering information associated to the person system and browser. As an alternative, the corporate is transferring to a extra privacy-focused and standardised Person-Agent Consumer Hints API.

It writes:

The window.exterior.getHostEnvironmentValue() technique is an Edge-only, non-standards-based manner for net builders to entry details about the browser and platform. … we’re saying our plan to deprecate this technique and we’re asking net builders to make use of the standardized Person-Agent Consumer Hints API as a substitute.

Microsoft additional explains:

Our choice to deprecate the getHostEnvironmentValue() technique is pushed by our purpose to reinforce browser privateness by eliminating person fingerprinting. The UA Consumer Hints API offers browser and platform data in a way more privacy-preserving manner as browsers can resolve what to return when requested for hints. Low entropy hints are accessible with each request, whereas the excessive entropy hints that may probably give away extra fingerprinting data might be gated with person preferences or behind a permission request.

Thus, the Person-Agent Consumer Hints API builds on the Consumer Hints framework to let web sites entry browser and platform particulars, and basically, it minimizes the information footprint customers go away behind when looking whereas nonetheless permitting web sites to get sufficient data to offer an optimized expertise.

Microsoft has additionally supplied a timeline for the deprecation. The corporate says that will probably be doing so in three steps broadly and plans to completely take away it by October, which aligns with the Home windows 10 assist loss of life. It writes:

To scale back interoperability points and to collect suggestions, we’re planning to deprecate the non-standard getHostEnvironmentValue() technique by following these steps:

Edge model	Launch date	Deprecation step
Edge 135	April 3, 2025	The DevTools Console warns builders when their code makes use of the strategy. Builders can even use a function flag to check their websites with the strategy disabled.
Edge 137	Could 23, 2025	The strategy is disabled however can nonetheless be utilized by requesting a short lived extension in your area.
Edge 141, relying on developer suggestions	October 2025	The strategy is totally faraway from Edge.

Microsoft has additionally added that an extension request is allowed for web sites that depend on it. You will discover extra particulars about it right here on the official weblog put up.